Business In Sport & Leisure, BISL, is the body that that represents the vital sport and leisure industry. It has hit out at the UK government's plans to reform gambling machine taxation announced in the budget released on 23rd March 2011. In a statement to the media, Dominic Harrison, CEO, said that a new tax regime would create a year of uncertainty on rates and would hold back any growth in the sector.

He called on the government to '...scrap this plan and work with the industry on solving whatever issues they think exist with the current system.' The organization was also unhappy with the decision to increase duty on beer by 2 per cent above inflation which will put a further 10p to the cost of a pint of beer. '

BISL engages with Government and its agencies to protect and grow the market. BISL argues the industry's strategic case on the broad national issues like growth, jobs and quality of life, whilst also negotiating specific issues affecting gambling, sport, licensing, planning, property and the visitor economy.

Following meetings with the Treasury the BISL would like to see the HMRC reform taxation of gaming machines. The new tax would replace AMLD and VAT, would be called machine gaming duty (MGD) and be essentially a gross profit tax. This would be part of the Finance Bill 2011 and be then introduced 12 months later but now delayed until Finance Bill 2012. This is to give them a longer time to consult on the detail as they appear to have found it more complex than they anticipated.